


Out of Nowhere

by hashtagsalads



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 10:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19392148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hashtagsalads/pseuds/hashtagsalads
Summary: A drunken tumble in her tent. An awkward proposition when she least expects it. A heated exchange on the battlefield.Aloy didn't have any experience with men before she left the Embrace. After those few, she finally knows what she's looking for. Little does she know, the vanguardsman in question has seen her all along.





	Out of Nowhere

It was the night before they’d finally get Dervahl and rescue Ersa. Erend was a nervous wreck and drunk as usual. Alcohol was the only way he could cope, and cope he did. It was probably the liquid courage that had him stumbling his way to Aloy’s tent through the darkness, though for what he couldn’t say. Comfort? Coupling? He’d find out when he got there.

Outside the flaps of her tent, he tried to figure out how to get her attention. He couldn’t knock, and he didn’t want to risk his neck just waltzing in. Eventually Erend settled on clearing his throat loudly and whispering her name.

A rustling sound indicated she was awake, stirring in her tent until the flap opened and she peered out at him blearily. “Erend?” she whispered back, her eyes still hooded with sleep.

“Can I come in?” he asked her, trying to keep his voice from betraying his state.

Canny though she was, Aloy seemed not to notice, and nodded, moving aside to let him in. When he was settled across from her in the small space, he stared at her through the darkness. She was beautiful, just like the first time he’d seen her. Erend was so caught up in his admiration of all that she was, that he forgot for a moment that he’d come here for something—still not sure what though—and he failed to speak.

“Well?” Aloy asked him, seeming more coherent now, “Why’d you wake me up?”

Her words finally shook him enough to act, and now that he was sitting across from her he knew what he wanted—what he’d always wanted—but only if she wanted it, too.

Hesitantly, Erend reached out, his hand coming around the back of her neck, burying itself in her hair. When she didn’t move, he pulled her close until their lips touched. Again, he met no resistance, instead finding her willing as she kissed him back. Her hands pressed against his chest through the light fabric of his shirt, and he wanted it off immediately so that he could feel her flesh on his flesh.

Erend’s hands moved to cup her face, and they tumbled backward together with her on top of him. The weight of her was light but just enough to remind his body how badly it wanted hers. He quickly became erect, and knew she could feel it because moments later she pulled away.

“Erend…” she said, breathless from kissing him. It was such an intimate sound that cut through the haze and made him want her more.

“Aloy,” he whispered back, smiling at her through the dark.

Her small hand cupped his cheek as she said, “We shouldn’t be doing this…”

And there went his erection. Fire and spit, but he was stupid.

“Right. Sorry,” he apologized, sitting up and gently depositing her next to him.

“Don’t be,” she said quietly, her hand on his leg, “I know this isn’t really about me. You’re drunk and worried about Ersa. I’m here for you, but just…not that way. If that’s okay.”

“Of course it is, Aloy,” Erend exclaimed more loudly than he intended. He quieted his voice and continued, “I’d never take anything from you that you didn’t offer. Not like I’d be able to, even if I was that type of man.” He heard her chuckle softly and felt a sad smile tug at his lips.

“Anyway, I’d better be going. We both need our rest if we’re going to pound Dervahl into the dirt tomorrow,” he finished as he tried to get up and leave the tent.

Aloy’s hand on his chest stopped him, her voice close, saying, “You can stay, but only if you want to. Like I said, I’m here for you. It might be nice to have someone to sleep next to.”

Steel to his soul she was killing him, and she didn’t even know it.

“Sure. Can’t say I’ve ever slept next to a woman I haven’t slept with before, if you know what I mean,” Erend told her as he settled in beside her.

“Just shut up and go to sleep,” Aloy said, sounding more like her usual self. Still, she pulled his arm around her, curling up next to him, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest.

He slept a dreamless sleep that night, and when he woke the next morning, she was already gone.

* * *

“You know what? When we met, I thought I was a big shot talking to a pretty girl hidden away in the middle of nowhere. Now I see that I was just lucky to get a minute of your time,” he told her, having to force the confession from himself. Erend knew he might not see her again for a long time. She needed to know how he felt, even if he couldn’t say the right words. “Try not to forget about me while you’re out there changing the world.”

“I’ll always have a minute for you,” Aloy told him softly, adding with a weak smile, “Maybe even two.” It seemed she, too, knew their separation would be a long one.

“Two! Ha, she likes me,” Erend joked, deflecting to humor as was his nature.

Aloy rolled her eyes, but smiled at him indulgently before taking off to speak with Avad next. The Sun King had requested a word, and he wasn’t to be denied.  


As Erend stared out into the landscape surrounding Meridian, he thought about Ersa. She likely would have been kicking his ass for not going after her. ‘Little brother!’ she’d scold, ‘What are you doing? Grow up and go after what you want!’ He wished she was actually there to literally knock some sense into him. Instead, the words he imagined were carried away on the wind, along with his resolve to leave things neutral with Aloy.

Turning quickly, he marched towards Avad’s throne to see if he could catch her before she left Meridian for good.

He stopped short when he heard them speaking, and tried not to eavesdrop. However, he started listening intently when he heard the words the Sun King spoke.

“…I want you to stay in Meridian.”

“What? Why?” asked Aloy, obviously confused by the request.

Avad seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing, “Well, to start with, you kept the city from going up in flames. You’re strong, shrewd, and capable. I could use someone like you at my side.”

That greedy bastard. Ersa hadn’t even been put to rest yet, and he was already chasing after his next conquest. Erend hadn’t taken Avad for the type, but he supposed even the best of people could surprise you in the end. He held his breath and waited for Aloy’s scathing response.

“Thank you for the offer, but I don’t think either you or I are ready for that. At least, not yet,” Aloy said, surprising him more than Avad had.

Erend didn’t hear the rest of what she said, because he was too busy trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart where they’d fallen on the ground. He hurried away, not wanting to see her again. Not like this.

It made sense, though, didn’t it? Aloy was the sun, and she belonged with its King. She was radiant, glowing, and all the things Avad had described, too. Besides, what could a Vanguardsman offer her that a king couldn’t? Even as Captain, his house and his earnings paled in comparison to what the Sun King had. She deserved everything the world had to offer, and Avad would actually be able to give it to her. Erend was sick as he imagined Avad dressing her in the finest Carja silks, only to rip them off of her just as quickly.

He thought of the way she’d rejected him in the tent, and finally realized that she’d probably only kissed him out of pity. Then, when it became apparent things were going to go too far, she’d stopped it to save herself for Avad. He hoped the bastard realized just how lucky he was.

The only cure for what ailed him this evening was ale, and he drank himself into a stupor until the sun came up, passing out once it had risen far past the horizon.

* * *

Aloy’s chest heaved with effort as she plunged her spear into the heart of the last bandit in the encampment. Blood rushed out of the wound, spattering her armor, but she didn’t care. Adrenaline coursed through her, her own blood pulsing under her skin. She’d never felt more alive.

The only person who seemed more exhilarated than her was Nil, who’d raced over to see her strike the killing blow.

“Marvelous!” he crowed, his eyes alight, his own armor covered in the blood of their enemies, “Now you’re getting into the spirit of things!”

Aloy didn’t want to admit it, but today he’d rubbed off on her a little. She’d been frustrated, upset, and just wanted to hurt something. When she’d come across the bandit encampment—and him, lurking just outside of it—she’d jumped at the opportunity to release some of her pent up anger.

“Trust me, this is just a one time thing,” Aloy said, pulling her spear out of the man, which caused more blood to erupt from the wound, this time spattering her legs.

She was about to complain, when she caught the look he was giving her. His eyes were dark, almost predatory, and she realized that now, he was hunting her. Aloy’s grip on her spear tightened as she waited for him to attack, only to be surprised moments later.

“You know, huntress, I never thought of you this way until now. You’re just stunning covered in all that blood.”

Aloy came to the slow realization that he wanted something different from her than she initially realized. Warmth pooled between her legs as Nil rushed towards her, slamming her body into the wall nearest her. His lips claimed hers hungrily, his slim body unyielding as it pressed into her. The heat of his want spread through her as he bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Nil’s tongue swept over the spot, groaning in pleasure as he tasted the coppery liquid.

She wondered if they were really going to do this here of all places. Glistening with sweat, covered in blood, and surrounded by the dead was not how she imagined her first time.

Truthfully, she hadn’t put much thought into it besides the night that Erend had come to her tent. That had been an altogether different interaction. It had been slow, and sweet, the heat of arousal blooming instead of bursting. There had been hesitation there, as though Erend was nervous. She’d thought it was sweet, until she tasted the ale on his breath and realized he was just drunk. That had soured her mood, and made her want to stop before he did anything he regretted.

Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about the softness of his lips on hers, the gentle way his fingers wove into her braids, the sturdiness in the broad expanse of his chest…

At that moment, she realized Nil had stopped kissing her, and was staring down at her, his expression quizzical.

“You’re somewhere else. I can tell,” he stated plainly, seeming neither disappointed nor unhappy. Instead, he sounded bored. “It’s not fun if you don’t have the thrill of the kill running through your veins. Maybe another time.”

Aloy nodded mutely and watched him walk away, realizing that the ‘somewhere else’ he’d talked about about the only place she wanted to be.

Just not without a bath first.

* * *

It had been a long time since he’d seen Aloy, long enough that he’d stopped counting the days. It had gotten too depressing after a while, and he was in a bad mood as it was. So bad, in fact, that the entire Vanguard had noticed. Many had guessed correctly the reason for his irritability and general despondence. At first they teased him about it, until that friendly ribbing earned them extra patrol duty. They learned plenty quick not to piss off the Captain when it came to Aloy.

To deal with his feelings, Erend buried himself in his work as much as he could, though even that had its drawbacks. After all, the Captain of the Vanguard worked closely with the Sun King, and Avad also served as a reminder of the redheaded Nora girl he’d been trying hard to forget. Every time he was at the Palace of the Sun, he was reminded of her, since it was the last place he’d seen her. Sometimes he could even swear he saw a glimpse of her red braids out of the corner of his eye. Most of the time it was just his imagination playing tricks on him, while other times it was someone’s Carja silks waving in the wind. Never once was it actually her.

All of this fed into his reaction when one of the vanguardsmen rushed to his office with news that Aloy had returned.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny. Sounds like someone wants to patrol the Maizelands tonight,” Erend said, looking up from whatever documents he was supposed to care about at the moment.

“With respect, Captain, she’s _really_ here,” the man said, though he looked nervous at the prospect of having to stay awake during the most boring patrol there was.

“Fire and spit, would you just cut it out?” Erend exclaimed, a scowl on his face, “I thought I made it clear that jokes about Aloy weren’t funny.”

“Of course, Captain. Which is why I’m not joking,” he replied, adding, “See for yourself. She’s at your apartment.”

Erend didn’t want to allow the possibility of hope to bloom in his chest. Instead, he sighed deeply and said, “If I go there and it’s empty, there’ll be hell to pay. In fact, I’ll feed you to a Thunderjaw myself. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Captain,” the vanguardsman said with a nod.

With that, Erend stalked through the streets of Meridian, wondering where exactly he’d be able to find a Thunderjaw so he could make good on his threat. He’d never actually seen one in person, nor had he ever wanted to. But, he couldn’t make threats and then not follow through with them. It was part of being a grown up, just like Ersa wanted him to be.

When he reached his apartment, he steeled himself for what would lie beyond the door. No doubt the rest of the Vanguard would be there to rub salt in the wound. Little did they know, this wasn’t the kind of trick they could play that would end with any of them still standing. He’d take them out one by one with his hammer just to show them how little he cared for their prank.

Instead, his apartment was silent when he entered, which was equally as disappointing, though a lot less humiliating. Erend’s eyes scanned the room for signs that anyone other than him had been here, and came up empty. He was about to leave, when a creak from above him signaled the presence of another.

As he reached for his hammer to deliver some swift, albeit slightly undeserved justice, a voice calling from the stairwell stopped him in his tracks.

“Erend? Is that you?” Aloy called, her steps quick as she rushed down to greet him.

“Steel to my bones! Aloy!” Erend cried as he dropped his hammer to the ground and ran to her, sweeping her up in his arms. She felt just as good as the last time he’d held her, and he never wanted to let her go.

That is, until he remembered her words to Avad, and knew that she wasn’t his to hold onto.

Erend set her down gently, his joy in seeing her eclipsed by the sadness he felt that she had feelings for another. He thought he’d learned to accept it, but seeing her again reignited the passion he’d felt for her, and with that came the pain he’d been trying to avoid.

“How’ve you been?” he asked her in an effort to return to the easy normalcy they’d had before he’d kissed her and she’d confessed her feelings to Avad.

“Oh, you know. Same as usual. Killing bandits and saving the world, all before breakfast,” Aloy replied with a grin, though it faded as she asked, “How have you been, Erend? How was Ersa’s funeral?”

“Exactly how she’d want it: less talking, more drinking. Still hurts more than catching a spark from the forge on your…well, you know,” Erend told her, feeling the familiar ache at the thought of his sister. Every day he had a question to ask her, or something to tell her, and it killed him knowing he’d never be able to.

“I know the feeling,” Aloy said, her head cocked in a sympathetic tilt. He knew she was thinking of Rost, the man who’d raised her. “It doesn’t really get better, just easier to carry.”

“Good to know. Carrying things is something I’m actually good at,” Erend said with a weak chuckle. When silence stretched between them for a moment, he thought to tell her that she could go if she wanted. Truth be told, he had no idea why she’d stopped to see him first. No doubt the Sun King would have been overjoyed to give her an audience, even with all the important emissaries he had to meet today.

“What else have you been up to since I left? I want to hear everything,” Aloy said suddenly, moving to sit on the small divan he had in his sitting room.

“Can’t say it’s going to be that interesting in comparison to the adventures I know you’ve been getting into, but I’ll indulge you, if only for a minute or two of your time,” Erend replied as he joined her. Normally he sat here alone. With two people—and one of those people being a very attractive Nora huntress—it seemed so much smaller than usual. Their knees were practically touching, and it took all of his strength to make sure they didn’t accidentally brush together.

However, as they talked, he started to forget about her proximity. The ease between them began to return, and it was as though nothing had changed. Like he hadn’t kissed her, like she hadn’t rejected him, and like she wasn’t in love with Avad. Instead, it was just the two of them in his apartment, tucked away in their own little pocket of the universe. Though he thought his stories were boring, she still listened to him with rapt attention. It was much like she had the first time they talked, back when he thought he was a big shot.

It was only when the sun was slanting across the floor and nearly meeting the horizon, that he realized just how much of her time he’d used up.

“Whoa, looks like I’ve taken way more than my two minutes,” Erend joked, standing abruptly, “Don’t let me waste anymore of your time. I’m sure Avad would like to have a word with you.”

“Avad?” she asked, still seated, “Why would he want to talk to me?”

“Oh, you know. The usual reasons. All that world saving business you’re usually up to,” Erend said, not meeting her gaze. When she still didn’t stand, he added, “And I’m sure he’d like to see you, too. On a more, well, _personal_ level.”

He glanced her way and saw that her brows had shot up, realization dawning on her face. That was enough to confirm what he already knew.

“You heard our conversation?” Aloy asked, finally rising from the divan to stand in front of him. Her hands were on her hips, and he could tell he was more than a little annoyed with him for spying.

“I was just walking by. Can’t say I blame you though. He’s a handsome man with all of the Sun Kingdom at his fingertips. What doesn’t he have to offer you?” Erend shrugged, looking at the ground, at the wall, anywhere but her.

Aloy snorted and said, “Plenty. He can’t forge me anything made of the finest Oseram steel. And he can’t go head to head with me over glasses of Scrappersap. And he’s not the one who invited me to Meridian in the first place.”

All of those things sounded a lot like Erend, and he finally looked at her to find she was staring up at him, her green eyes earnest.

“I don’t need the Sun Kingdom, Erend. I just need a home, a bed, and a whole new life. If you’re still offering, that is,” she finished, taking a step closer to him. Though her lips were curved up in a smile, he could see the unsteadiness in her gaze that told him she didn’t know whether or not he’d say yes. As if he could say anything else.

Erend wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up and off the ground as he kissed her, twirling her around. Laughter bubbled up from her chest, humming against his lips. Her arms snaked around his neck, her fingers tickling his scalp as they found the tail end of his mohawk.

Kissing her was so much better when he was sober.

The ale had numbed so much of her before. Now she was bright, alive in his arms, and he swore to the Sun, the moon, and everything in between that he wouldn’t let her go again. At least, in the metaphorical sense anyway. She still had the world to save after all.

Still, Erend would always be hers for as long as she’d have him. Even if it was just for a minute or two.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little bit of Ereloy fluff that nobody asked for. I've been playing HZD a lot lately, and the game has been giving me all kinds of feelings haha Little drabbles would spring up while I was playing that I eventually connected and it wound up turning into this. I wish the game had actually let these two get together (or had any romance options, since it seemed like everyone flirted with Aloy). Alas, they'll only be together in fanfiction.
> 
> Anyway, thanks to those who chose to read this! I appreciate you taking a look. :)


End file.
